


Burns and Bruises

by mintyleaves



Category: Sky High (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Blood and Violence, Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Roommates, Secret Identity, Sexual Frustration, sexual content in the last chapter, super villan shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:47:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25779154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mintyleaves/pseuds/mintyleaves
Summary: Warren must juggle the responsibilities of being a student while simultaneously upholding his reputation as an infamous super villain. Little does he know, his arch-nemesis might just happen to be his best friend. But hey, that's college.
Relationships: Warren Peace/Will Stronghold
Comments: 10
Kudos: 70





	1. Blood Down the Drain

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Before you read this I'd like to clarify that there will be bloody and violent content in terms of fight scenes. I don't think they're graphic in nature, but be wary if you are sensitive to that. Enjoy :)

Everything hurt. 

Warren’s back was bleeding, it had to be. The Chief threw him out a five story window and yes, he’s had worse falls but they still fucking hurt. 

Warren jammed his key into the lock of their apartment and cursed when he kept missing the hole. His hands were shaking too much and the sting was getting considerably worse. 

The key finally slid in and Warren swung the door open and let it slam behind him because he was already rushing to the bathroom and digging around for the first aid kit.

Will wasn’t home, and Warren was beyond thankful for it.

He was probably at the gym, which is where Will typically was if not in class or in the apartment. Warren never really understood it because Will was small and skinny and not muscular at all but for some reason he was strong. Super strong. At some point Warren brought it up to him and Will laughed. “Must be the last name.” He said, like he didn’t even know why he was that strong. 

Whatever the reason, Warren was more than happy with Will’s constant absence. It made it so much easier to sneak out and so much easier to sneak in without pulling an excuse out of his ass. 

Warren pulled off his shirt, which was once white but now took a dark scarlet shade. He winced and popped open the first aid kit. It was bad. 

Even worse, his blood was dripping onto the tile in tiny red flecks and making one hell of a mess. But it was fine. 

He turned in the mirror to get a look at his back. It looked skinned, everything raw skin from his shoulder blades to his tailbone. 

Warren frowned and washed his hands. This one was going to be hard to hide. He wouldn’t even care except Will was his best friend and he hated lying to him.

They’d been best friends since sophomore year of high school. And here they were, four years later at the same college and sharing an apartment. They probably would have been friends freshman year too, except Warren didn’t go to Will’s school. He went to a school just for superheroes called Sky High. 

Cheesy, right?

Well Warren rather liked Sky High, except he barely remembered any of it. Freshman homecoming, a senior girl revealed herself to be a supervillain of some sort with a grand evil scheme to turn everyone into… babies? Yeah, that sounded about right. So this girl turns half the school into babies and it’s up to Warren and a rag-tag team of other outcast freshmen to stop her. 

At the end of the year, the school realized what a bad idea it was to keep all supers in one place like that because it was too easy to target. They decided to close their doors, send all kids into public schools, and erase all memories of the people at Sky High. 

Warren doesn’t remember the freshmen he fought with. It was like their faces had just been blurred, along with their names and everything else. 

It was safer to keep identities secret, even from other superheroes. 

And then it was up to his dad to teach Warren how to use his powers, except his father was never around and almost always in some sort of prison. So Warren had to figure things out on his own. 

He walked 30 minutes to school everyday and took AP classes and ended up graduating on the high honor roll. Then he’d come home, do the work and light it on fire. That’s how he learned to control his powers, lighting up everything from scented candles to pictures of the father that was never there for him. Either way, arson was oddly therapeutic. Maybe it was something about how mesmerizing the flames looked.

But burning paper got boring after a while and Warren felt compelled to start real fires. 

At 17, he set his first building on fire. An abandoned gas station on the outskirts of town. Arson was nerve wracking though, and Warren forgot to account for the highly flammable gasoline. 

It made a nice surprise though. If Warren himself weren’t fire-retardant, he wouldn’t have survived it. 

Any traces of evidence went up in flames as Warren stood in the middle of it, just watching. 

From the gas station, he got bolder, and started fires in buildings where the flames could easily jump and spread.

Thus, the Pyro was born.

Warren smiled at himself in the mirror, a damp cloth held over his bloody arm. And here the Pyro was now, being thrown out of buildings by a superhero hotshot. 

He dropped the rag in the sink, letting it land with a splat. He pulled a spare ponytail off the counter and threw his hair up in a bun, hoping Will was taking his time at the gym or wherever he happened to be. 

The first time Warren met Will was in guitar class when the teacher paired them up for a duet. Warren would have never associated with a jock like Will otherwise. But he was a nice guy and ended up being a great friend to Warren. Even better, Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold seemed to like him well enough. 

When it came time for them to go to college, they were enthusiastic about them staying together. For once in his life, Warren felt like he had a support system. 

He winced at the feeling of the wet rag on his wound. 

He had to get cleaned off before Will got back. 

In the past, Warren could pass off some of his injuries as being the result of a bar fight caused by his quick temper. Will typically bought it, knowing that Warren was a bit of a hot head. 

This, however, could not be excused.

Warren twisted his arms in awkward directions in attempts to reach all the cuts on his back. He peered over his shoulder, looking at his reflection in the mirror. 

There had once been a red dragon tattoo sliding down his spine.

Because his back was as skinned and bloody as it was, he could barely even tell it was still there. 

He grimaced and wrung out the rag before stepping into the shower. 

It was going to hurt, but it was the only way he actually wash all the blood off. 

With clenched teeth, Warren watched the water at his feet turn red as it ran down the drain. 

~

When Will walked in with a limp and bloody lip, Warren rushed to sit him down and bring him a bag of ice. 

Will looked at him appreciatively, cheeks slightly pink and hair sticking every which way.

“So you were, uh, studying?” Will asked.

Warren tapped his hand, reminding him to keep the ice on his lip. 

“What the hell did you get yourself into?” Warren asked, ignoring the attempt at an out. 

Will opened his mouth.

“Don’t tell me you were at the gym because you weren’t.”

Will frowned, keeping the ice on his lip. “Actually I was,” he explained. 

“And you got this fucked up from what, weightlifting?” Warren asked, skeptical.

“No,” Will answered. “It’s really embarrassing actually. I had just finished my mile on the treadmill and I was going downstairs to go to the locker room but I didn’t realize my shoe was untied and I fell down the stairs.”

Warren laughed. 

“Hey,” Will said, giving him a look. “Do you know how many cute girls saw that?” He shook his head. “I am not going to live that one down.”

Warren leaned against the counter and crossed his feet. “Don’t worry about it, Stronghold. Shit happens.”

Will kept his eyes on the floor. 

“You might want to elevate your leg too,” Warren suggested after they had both been quiet for a while.

Will looked up at him. “What?”

“Elevate your leg,” Warren repeated. “You have a limp, don’t you?”

“Oh. I guess. It’s not- I’m fine I get hurt all the time,” Will said. He smiled. “You worry about me too much.”

Warren rolled his eyes. “Do not.” Will raised an eyebrow. “I worry about you the normal amount. I just don’t want you getting beat up by any punks.”

Will laughed. “The only punk that’s beating me up is myself. I’m too strong for my own good sometimes,” he joked. 

“You gotta learn to control that superhero strength of yours,” Warren joked. “You’re like Hercules but worse.”

“No! Am not!” Will protested. “I’m more handsome,” he looked at Warren. “And I don’t wear skirts.” 

Warren raised his eyebrows and looked Will up and down. “You wouldn’t be able to pull it off.”

“Wait-” Will fumbled for a comeback but Warren just looked at him and gave an unapologetic shrug. 

It was amusing really, watching Will get flustered and worked up over things. He almost felt bad watching Will try to figure it all out. Yeah, almost.


	2. Fireball

Will hooked his fingers around the frame of Warren’s door. A head full of tousled brown hair popped in soon after. His brown eyes sparkled as he laughed before he even got a chance to say anything. Warren looked up expectantly.

“I was thinking we could go out tonight.” Will bit his tongue in an attempt to stop himself from bursting into laughter. “But then I remembered you’re kicked out of half the bars on campus.” 

He ran in and bounced on Warren’s bed. 

Warren rolled his eyes. “Fuck off Stronghold.” He promptly shut his laptop, knowing that Will probably wouldn’t get that his calculations were for a deadly sunray, but feeling obliged to hide them anyway. 

It was a super villain thing. 

He looked the nasty bruise on Will’s knee. “I don’t think drinking right now is the best idea either.” He frowned, bringing his eyes back up to meet Will’s. “You’re always damaged.”

Will groaned, falling back into Warren’s bed dramatically. “Whatever. I’m clumsy.” Will paused a moment, staring at the ceiling. “I’m 21 dude, you can’t worry about me forever.”

“Stop giving me reasons to,” Warren countered.

~

Will wasn’t exaggerating when he said Warren had been kicked out of half of the campus bars. Warren had a tendency to get in heated arguments which would then escalate into brawls. 

It was usually over something stupid, though. Sometimes Warren would actually agree with the guy but then argue just for the sake of arguing. 

It was another super villain thing. 

The worst part about getting kicked out of bars is that they typically weren’t so keen on Warren coming back. Some of them banned him for good but the ones that didn’t were ruined by the looks Warren and his friends got. 

It significantly shrank the list of prospective bars. 

With a slim selection of choices, Warren and Will ended up outside of a bar called The Golden Cock. Warren looked inside, surprised to see a fair amount of people. 

It wasn’t Warren’s idea. When he heard the name he just smirked and looked at the floor. Will giggled about it openly.

Layla was the one who picked it. But Warren couldn’t really be picky. If there was a bar willing to let him in, he was not going to let it go to waste. 

He spotted her red hair at the bar with Magenta as they talked over drinks. 

Will went right in and Warren followed. 

Layla turned and smiled. “Hey guys!”

Will nodded at them. “Layla. Mag. What have you been up to?”

“Just talking,” Layla said, leaning against the bar. “Waiting for you two dorks to get here.”

“We’re not late, you guys are just early,” Will responded. 

“Sure.” Layla rolled her eyes. 

The Golden Cock didn’t seem so bad. There was a crowd so that was a good sign, right? 

As long as Warren could get drunk he’d be happy.

“Have you two been scoping out potential babes for me?” Will asked.

Magenta snorted. “Please. Like any hot chicks would go to a bar called The Golden Cock. Sorry Will but Layla’s the hottest girl here.”

Will didn’t want to accept that answer. He restlessly searched the bar for beautiful, or at least average looking, girls. 

Warren couldn’t care less. He looked down the line of other guys sitting at the bars, noticing what they were drinking and silently judging them accordingly. 

Will could do whatever he wanted. 

Warren ran his hands over his jeans. His palms were sweaty for some reason. 

Will leaned against the bar. He seemed to be squinting. For a second, Warren wondered how a dork like him got any girls at all. But Will was Warren’s best friend and had been for years. He knew exactly why girls liked him.

He had a dumb smile and big brown eyes. He had a mess of brown hair that had grown since high school and was now almost as long as Warren’s. He was just so… easy going. Upbeat. 

Warren subconsciously rubbed his elbow, where a fading bruise hid under his leather jacket. 

Will was good.

The bartender set a glass down, the ice jingling in the glass and swishing around the amber liquid.

Warren reached for it and took a sip, letting the whiskey burn a trail down his throat. 

Fireball, as was appropriate. 

He took a glance at Will, who was in the same spot and continuing to survey the room. 

“Y’know, looking for girls isn’t the only thing to do at a bar,” Warren said. Will looked at him. “You could get a drink? Like a normal person?”

Will didn’t respond. He just smiled and furrowed his eyebrows as if asking Warren if he believed what he was saying. 

Warren dropped it. The bar hummed around him as he drank more whiskey. 

Will ran his hands through his hair in a frantic way and Warren knew he had found someone. He smoothed out his jacket, making sure everything fit just right. Because impressing a random girl at a random college bar would be the highest achievement of Will’s life. 

Warren didn’t get it.

“Aright,” Will said, looking to Warren for affirmation. “How do I look?”

He was wearing the same red jacket he wore in high school. It suited him nonetheless. 

“Smoking,” Warren answered and Will beamed. “Go get her, chief.”

Will seemed only slightly caught off guard by the nickname before scampering away to talk to the girl. 

Warren watched as Will weaved his way across the bar. He averted his eyes before he could see the girl Will was after. He really didn’t need to know.

He sipped his drink. Layla and Magenta continued chatting and Warren was just fine with keeping to himself. 

“Will’s at it again,” Magenta observed. 

Layla turned to look but Warren’s gaze remained fixed on a guy sitting at the other end of the bar. He looked a lot like Will, just a little more tan and muscular. 

His eyes met Warren’s and he gave a small smile. Warren returned it, a little embarrassed to be caught staring.

He brought his attention back to the girls beside him.

“Why aren’t you with him?” Layla asked, looking at Warren curiously.

“Are you shy?” Magenta teased. 

“No,” Warren responded. He sipped his whiskey in order to avoid any follow up questions. 

Magenta eyed him skeptically. “I don’t believe you.”

“Okay,” Warren responded. He shifted uncomfortably, waiting for Magenta to look somewhere else. She didn’t and he could feel her eyes burning into him as he tried to look at absolutely anything else. 

She reached across Layla’s lap and tucked a strand of Warren’s hair behind his ear before he could stop her. “Your ears aren’t pierced,” she said.

“No, they’re not.” Warren shifted away from her.

“You should get them done. You’d look so hot with earrings.”

“Thanks, Mag,” Warren muttered, wanting to go back to not being the center of attention. 

“I’m gonna have to agree with Magenta on this one,” Layla said. “You would be very attractive with earrings.”

Warren smiled and looked at her sideways. “Not you too.”

He did everything he could to keep his eyes on Layla and not the other guy sitting across the bar. 

“What do you think Will would say?” Layla asked.

“He wouldn’t like it,” Magenta responded. She picked up her glass then added, “He’s too preppy. He doesn’t get Warren’s edgy style.”

She was probably right.

Warren’s eyes wandered over to the guy, who was currently drinking a bottle of beer. He looked over at Warren again and Warren felt his cheeks heat up. 

And then Will was standing next to him with two girls on either side. “Kaarina, Josephine, I’d like you to meet my friends. Magenta, Layla, and my roommate Warren.”

One of the girls looked at Warren with sparkling eyes. She was a redhead just like Layla and Warren guessed Will told her that he was single. 

He leaned on the bar, somewhat awkwardly but mostly just trying to get away from this girl before she got the wrong idea. 

Actually, Will probably already gave her the wrong idea. 

“I love meeting other redheads,” she said, looking at Layla now. “Whenever I see another girl with red hair I just feel, like, this bond?”

Layla smiled at the girl and Warren had no idea if it was genuine or not. “Yeah, totally.”

The guy across the bar was finishing his beer. Warren stood, downed the rest of his Whiskey and excused himself to the bathroom. 

Because this was their first time at The Golden Cock, none of them knew the bathroom was. Which is why no one stopped Warren as he headed out a door that led outside. 

“Hey,” he said, and his voice alone made Warren swoon.

“Hey,” Warren responded.

“Saw you were drinking Fireball,” he said, looking at Warren with a sort of admiration. “Props to you man. That stuff burns.”

Warren shrugged. “I can handle the pain.”


	3. Scratches and Lines

Notes were strewn across the desk, written in some of the worst handwriting Warren had ever seen. Letters seemed to be represented by mere marks and dashes, and words became scratches and lines. He had no clue what the paper was trying to tell him. 

There was a rustling of sheets and a sleepy “Good morning” from the bed behind him.

Warren turned around, notes still in hand. “Morning.”

“You wore me out last night,” he said, smiling. Warren smiled too, because one night stands weren’t something he usually did but Gabe was nice and now he had to figure out how to leave. 

“Yeah?” He set the papers down. “I was just trying to keep up with you.” Gabe rolled his eyes and Warren noticed the dimples accenting both the corners of his mouth. “You should organize this,” Warren added, gesturing to the messy desk because he wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Yeah,” Gabe agreed. 

Their eyes met. 

“I- Will’s probably wondering where I am.”

Gabe nodded. “Right,” he said softly. His gaze traced a path on the bed before settling back on Warren’s face. “Can I… get your number? Before you leave?” He asked. 

Warren wasn’t sure how to respond, but the shyness in Gabe’s voice was endearing and he ended up giving it to him anyway. 

He was almost out the door when Gabe stopped him. “I know you’re tough but…” His hand lingered on Warren’s back. He didn’t directly ask Warren to be careful, probably because he knew Warren wouldn’t truthfully agree to it, but the look in his eyes said it all.

“I’ll be fine,” Warren responded. He stepped into the hallway and began his walk back to his building, which happened to be just two minutes away.

He watched his feet as they stepped over the sidewalk cracks.

He thought about Gabe, and how maybe they could be something. 

He wondered if he was ready for that. 

Warren slid his key into the lock of their apartment and let himself in. He kicked off his shoes and left them by the door, next to a pair of black heels that he swore Layla would never wear.

There was a chance they could be Magenta’s, but she wouldn’t wear them in the morning. And she definitely did not go home with Will last night. 

When Warren looked up from the unfamiliar shoes, he saw a girl standing in the living room. She seemed oblivious, picking something off the shelf and turning it over in her hand. 

She turned slightly and Warren immediately became aware that she was half naked. His immediate reaction was to avert his eyes and rush to his room but he couldn’t be so lucky. 

“Warren,” Will said, obviously caught off guard.

Warren looked up for a split second, just to catch a surprised Will lingering awkwardly in the hallway and a girl in just her underwear making it really hard to avoid looking at her bare tits. 

“Hey,” he muttered. It was awkward for everyone.

He just wanted to go to his room. 

“Aw,” the girl whined. She put the object on the table and moped over to Will. Warren couldn’t help but notice the sparkly pink “DADDY” written across her butt. 

He really wished he hadn’t noticed.

“I guess the fun’s over,” She pouted, moving around little hairs on Will’s head. And then she turned to Warren, raised her eyebrows and made an offer that made his whole being freeze. “Unless it’s not?” 

Will’s eyes widened and he sputtered out a response before Warren could. “Uh, actually Kaarina, I have, uh- You should go.” 

Warren looked away as Will nudged her into the other room to get dressed. He pretended to be really interested in that candle they kept by the door, although he couldn’t remember one time they actually lit it. 

Yankee Candle. Midsummer’s Night. 

He snapped his fingers, lighting the wick while he waited.

Will reappeared in the hallway, looking absolutely distraught. 

Warren stared him dead in the eye. “Daddy?” He asked. 

Will cringed. “I know. Not my proudest moment,” he admitted, rubbing his arm sheepishly.

Warren shook his head in disapproval. 

“Where were you last night?” Will asked. “Get lost on the way to the bathroom or something?”

Warren shrugged, trying his best to downplay last night’s events so Will wouldn’t ask anymore questions. “Found someone.”

Will smirked. “Oh?” He was waiting for Warren to go into detail, but Warren remained silent. “Well good for you. I bet she was smokin’ hot.”

Warren nodded, wondering if he could safely get back to his room yet. 

“Hey wait did you light that candle?” Will asked, suddenly infatuated with the jar of black wax. 

Warren looked at him and shrugged like he didn’t know what he was talking about.

“Sorry,” Will said. “I think I’m going crazy.” His eyes met Warren’s and his cheeks flushed red. “So… um, good time last night?” He asked, folding his arms and leaning against the wall.

Warren sincerely wished he’d shut up.

Thankfully, Kaarina came back before Warren could give a half-assed response. She was wearing the same tiny black dress from last night but at least she was clothed.

Well, barely.

She went to pick up her shoes by the front door and Warren took the opportunity to leave. 

He kept his head down, lifting it up only for a cheeky remark to Will on his way out.

“I’m going to go take a shower,” he paused, lowering his voice. “Daddy.”

“Stop,” Will hissed. 

Warren just smirked and kept walking.

~

The water was already running when his eye caught his reflection in the mirror. His back was starting to heal, ever so slightly. 

He could start to see his tattoo again, the little scales and twists of the dragon’s tail. It was slowly coming back, even if the red ink made the wound look worse than it actually was.

He stepped into the shower.

Injuries were just part of being a villain. He couldn’t remember a time when his body was completely devoid of any sort of cut, bruise, or burn. 

He got hurt almost as often as Will did. 

~

When Warren got out of the shower, he settled on a pair of black skinny jeans and an old gray shirt. He threw on a green plaid shirt on top, just because it was September and there was a little bit of a breeze today. 

He packed up his backpack, zipping up his computer and other notes necessary for world domination. 

Will stood up from the couch when Warren walked in. His eye caught the backpack and he frowned. “You’re already leaving?”

“Got work to do,” Warren replied, because it was so easy to pawn villain schemes off as the usual school assignment. 

A dejected “oh,” was the response. “Er, sorry about this morning.”

Warren managed a little smile. “No worries.”

Will shifted his feet. It looked like there was something else he wanted to say. 

“Well. I’ll talk to you later,” Warren said. He opened the door, pausing for a moment. “Daddy.”

He heard Will protest with “Stop calling me that!” before the door shut behind him. 

He’d be lying if he said the weight of his backpack didn’t feel uncomfortable on his shoulders. 

But it was endurable and Warren was good at that. Enduring things.

Which was why he was able to live with Will in their apartment, even if it meant dealing with situations like the one that morning. 

Because he liked Will a lot.

Even if they were just friends. Warren could handle just friends. That’s all they had been for the past four years anyways. 

And part of being a super villain was taking out all your pent-up frustrations out on innocent bystanders. 

So Warren sat down with his cup of black coffee and opened his laptop up to a folder full of complicated diagrams and calculations. Being a physics major was helpful in a limited sense. Yes, he was good enough at math to calculate how much UV radiation was needed to power a 3,000 watt heat ray. But when it came to actually building the damn thing, he was lost. 

Engineering probably would have been a better choice. 

So far, studying solar panels was his main lead. He muscled through it, no matter how confusing and advanced the electrical terminology was. 

Ideally, if he could harness the thermal energy of the sun, he would be able to incinerate a much larger area. That being said, harnessing raw thermal energy was extremely dangerous. 

If Warren wasn’t precise with his measurements, the slightest excess of solar power would kill him. 

Warren was never the one to shy away from danger, though. He wouldn’t be a villain if that were the case. 

Instead, he saw it as a challenge. 

He sipped his coffee and looked at the blueprints, smug with the fact wherever the Chief was, he had no idea what was about to hit him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for your patience with this chapter.  
> Also, I don't know anything about about electricity and if you do I'm sorry


	4. Identity

Being at Home Depot made Warren feel like he was a high school junior scouring for materials for a physics project. He shoved his hands in his pockets and scanned the aisles. 

Why wasn’t there a store reserved just for super villains? Somewhere he could walk up to an employee and say, “Hey man, I’m trying to build a deadly heat ray, what do you think would be the best thermal insulator?”

And the employee would respond, “Actually dude, you need a conductor! Copper is, of course, the classic choice, but if you would like a slower current you may want to try aluminum or even magnesium.” 

And then they would engage in a very insightful conversation about metal conductivity and Warren would leave the store with an improved invention design and appreciation for thermodynamics. 

Instead, he was told by a short brunette to “check the back” for what he’s looking for. 

Civilians had no appreciation for super villain work. 

Oh well, just another reason to send their city into a fiery inferno. 

After wasting a little too much time staring at a shelf he ended up buying an assortment of things that seemed like they’d work..

He could probably figure out how to make them work.

Crafting a deadly heat ray was proving to be a lot harder than it sounded.

But Warren was never one for backing away from a challenge. He put the bag of miscellaneous objects in the passenger seat and pulled out of the parking lot. 

While waiting at a red light, a thought wandered into his head about what Gabe was up to. His mind replayed the scene from earlier- Gabe shyly asking Warren for his number.

There was a possibility for something there, right? 

The light turned green. 

Warren spent the rest of the drive turning the idea over in his head like it was a pair of pants stuck in an endless wash cycle. He finally pulled into his spot at their apartment and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. 

Will wasn’t home. Warren figured he was at the gym because nine times out of ten that’s where he was.

At least now Warren didn’t have to answer any questions about the very suspicious Home Depot bag. 

With Fall Out Boy appropriately playing in the background, he began constructing his weapon of mass destruction.

Thank god Will wasn’t home to make that into a dick joke.

Warren worked with moderate efficiency, making tweaks and adjustments as necessary. After one splotchy panel configuration, he figured out that they were much too flimsy and needed extra material. He felt rather smart for figuring that one out. 

Things went a lot more smoothly after that. 

It took him just about two hours to make a dish that was mostly complete except for the wiring. It looked nice enough, but the problem with inventions was that they rarely ever worked as intended on the first try.

He sighed. This was just the first prototype of many. 

But hey, progress was progress.

~

When the door to the apartment shut, Warren scrambled off his bed in an attempt to hide all the unexplainable notes and crafting materials.

At some point he lied down to take a break but then got a little side tracked. 

Will popped his head in the doorframe. “So. What are you up to?”

Warren leaned over his desk in a way that screamed anything but casual. “Y’know.”

Will glanced behind him. He leaned on the doorway and crossed his arms. “I hope one of these days you’ll show me your drawings.”

“It’s… not that great,” Warren said, relieved that Will assumed it was an art thing. 

Will looked at him skeptically. “I’m sure it is.”

Warren didn’t respond. He watched him quietly and waited for him to make a point or leave.

Will wasn’t that observant. He stayed put, looking at Warren’s bed for an uncomfortably long time.

“How was the gym?” Warren asked. The prolonged silence made him feel restless. 

Will looked at him. “Fine. Same routine.” He did a pose. “Getting the gains.”

“Okay, muscles.”

Will smiled at the dumb nickname. “Okay hothead. I’m going to take a shower now. Get the,” He did a motion. Warren wasn’t exactly sure what it was supposed to be. “Sweat. Off.”

Warren nodded.

Will waited a moment, then left. 

Once he was gone, Warren wasted no time putting away all his invention blueprints and materials. He made substantial progress on building a deadly heat ray, but all his hard work seemed nullified by the fact that first builds were never effective.

It was a part of the process and he loathed it. 

After everything was put away, he grabbed a sticky note off his desk and quickly sketched something special for Will. 

A body chiseled by the gods. Abs that were crisp and defined without being exaggerated like a body builder’s. No, this is what the Romans idolized. 

He laughed to himself as he plopped Will’s face on top like a tiny cherry on a massive sundae. 

He stuck it on Will’s door and waited for the sound of running water to come to a stop. 

Until then, he had plenty of time to grab a drink and look over the same calculations until they didn’t make sense.

Warren didn’t pride himself on making smart choices, mostly because they were so rare in his life, but taking AP calculus and physics in high school was proving to be one of the best decisions he’d made.

Scheming was easier when you knew how to differentiate equations and predict necessary force and projection. Still very hard, but a little bit easier.

The worst part was not having an accomplice to bounce theories off. Majority of his problems would be alleviated by someone verifying that everything was mathematically sound, but that wasn’t exactly possible when the equations are for inflicting mass fatality.

Warren sighed.

It’s not like there was anything inherently forcing him to be a villain, but it just felt so essential to his identity. If he wasn’t the Pyro, then he was just Warren Peace, and who was that, really? 

Warren wasn’t sure he knew. 

The Pyro was safe for him. His dad was a villain and so Warren was too. Quitting now felt like cutting a piece of himself away. What would the Chief do? Would he quit with no one to fight, or would a new contender present themself, proving to have more stamina and vigor than Warren did?

They were hard questions and no answer seemed to settle them right. 

He looked at his hand, thought about how it could heat up to 310 degrees in less than a second. Thought about how he could throw fire, let flames climb up his arms. Thought about who he’d be if not a villain.

Will’s figure materialized in the doorway and Warren looked up through strands of dark hair.

A white towel was tied around his hips. He held the sticky note up. 

“You said you wanted to see my art,” Warren explained.

Will didn’t say anything and Warren tried his best to hold eye contact because there were other forbidden places where his eyes desperately wanted to trespass. 

“You’re getting my floor wet,” Warren said, looking down at Will’s feet. 

“Well this picture is making my dick wet,” Will responded. 

Warren looked up at him, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes just a little bit. 

“Sorry,” Will apologized. “The drawing is very nice. Really, very nice. You’re talented. I’m going to go. Put clothes on.” He motioned to the direction of his room. He was almost gone but then his head popped back in. “You wanna get Chinese takeout for dinner?”

Warren smiled. “Always.”

~

Will pulled apart the plastic wrapper and popped out the vanilla cookie. He snapped it in half and pulled the crisp white paper out from the shell. 

“You’re the best.”

Warren looked over and raised his eyebrows. “Sounds like the fortune cookie writer has a crush on you.”

Will rolled his eyes and threw his bland fortune on the table. He shoved a cookie half in his mouth. “What’s your’s say?”

Warren opened up his own. “Why not see where things go?”

Will nodded, continuing to much on his cookie.

Warren folded it over in his fingers, frowning at the way he immediately thought of Gabe. 

“Hey, Will?” Warren said slowly. Will looked over and Warren thought about what exactly it was that he wanted to ask. “Last night…”

Will jumped in. “Are you finally going to tell me about her?” 

Their eyes met and Warren couldn’t correct him. His throat felt tight. “I can’t stop thinking about her.” He said finally.

Will broke into a smile. “Aw, Warren!”

Warren hated himself for bringing up. Hated how Will was so happy about a nonexistent girl. 

Hated that there were so many things he had to lie to Will about. 

He hated all the different identities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all soooo much for your patience with this series. It's been hard to write lately with school and work and the dreadful writer's block. But the positive feedback helped me get back into it so seriously, thank you for the support :)


	5. Black Coffee

Blue. 

A color that engulfed a loaded question. 

“Would you be up for brunch in the morning?”

Warren stared at his screen for so long that his eyes went out of focus. 

Delivered; He hadn’t read it yet. 

Gabe had texted him a couple hours earlier, right after he’d had an evasive conversation with Will about a girl named Gabby. 

Will pulled the socks off his feet, balled them up, and threw them down the hallway. “Shoot your shot,” He said. They bounced off the wall.

Warren remembered why he didn’t go to Will for advice. 

They’d been chatting. Casual conversation about this and that. And then Warren invited him to brunch because he was, as Will advised, shooting his shot. 

So far, he was terrified.

He tried to rationalize that if Gabe said “no” it wouldn’t even be that big of a deal because he’d never have to see the guy but still- Warren didn’t like putting himself out there. 

He fidgeted, pacing through the apartment anxiously while Will worked on an assignment. 

He went back in his room, resolving to burn off nervous energy the best way he could- fire. 

He spilled hand sanitizer across his desk and lit it up. Somehow, that never failed to amuse him. He started drawing pictures, writing words. Anything to distract him from the feeling of impending rejection.

He built a rotisserie out of pencils, pulled a marshmallow from the kitchen, and began roasting it over his hand sanitizer fire. 

It almost worked, but Warren’s nerves were just too strong. He blew out the fire and picked up his phone, prepared to text Gabe never mind. 

Cancel on him, that was the easy thing to do.

An unopened text waited for him. “Brunch sounds great :o)”

Warren was too late. He fell back into his bed and stared at his ceiling, mentally preparing himself for what may or may not be considered a date in the morning.

Why was he so psyched out about it? It was just breakfast. 

But this would be a test run of dating Gabe and that scared the shit out of Warren. He was never really good at relationships. There was a thing that he’d had with this girl back in high school but that was before he figured out that he didn’t exactly like girls. 

Discovering his homosexuality didn’t win him any dates though. Going on dates meant coming out, which was unappealing. Warren was reduced to secret flings and hookups.

It was a theme he was all too familiar with. Living another double life. 

With no experience in the dating department, the idea of brunch tomorrow was intimidating. If it went badly then maybe Warren wasn’t destined to be in a relationship. 

Brunch was supposed to be casual. There was nothing scary about waffles. 

Or at least, that’s what Warren kept telling himself as he waited and waited for sleep to come.

~

Like any loyal sidekick, Warren’s anxiety remained with him in the morning. It crept on him as he brushed his teeth and prodded him out the door while insisting that he was going to be late. 

A quick glance in his room notified Warren that Will was still fast asleep. Warren smiled to himself before leaving. 

After walking for a block or so, he realized that he was doing so well on time that he’d actually probably be early. He dragged his feet. 

Warren didn’t mind it much; It was actually really nice outside. It was slightly cool, but with the sunshine on his back it was enough for a comfortable temperature. 

He felt himself calm down just a little bit.

And then his phone got an alert, notifying him that Gabe was there, at a table, waiting for Warren. 

His heart sped up and his steps got quicker, taking him closer to whatever awaited him at the restuarant. 

He had to calm down, treat Gabe like an old friend. 

Except, Warren didn’t have many of those. He really mostly kept to his group, which consisted of people he’d known since high school. Socializing was hard. Warren would be fine for the first part, when you’re just being polite and trying to find common ground, but after that it got a little harder. 

More specifically, when someone showed interest in Warren, whether it be platonic or romantic, he struggled. 

In his mind, there were so many better choices of friends. The idea that someone would willingingly pick him seemed foreign and strange. Afterall, Warren was just a villain.

He pushed open the glass door, a bell chiming on his way in. Gabe was sitting at a booth, smiling warmly. Warren smiled back. 

“I’m so glad we could catch brunch,” Gabe said.

Waren slid into his seat, looking down for maybe a little bit too long because eye contact was intimidating.

“Yeah,” Warren agreed. Eyes up he added, “Me too.”

“This is a good place, too.” Gabe said. “Best waffles in town.”

Warren marveled at how comfortable Gabe was. How he could make comments like those without stuttering while Warren felt like he was slowly suffocating. 

But it was just brunch, and there was nothing scary about breakfast food.

The waitress came, took their drink orders, came back with two cups of coffee. Gabe put cream in his, Warren did not. Gabe commended him for being able to drink black coffee and Warren just smiled because maybe that was the only thing he did that deserved praise. 

They ended up getting the same thing, sourdough waffles that Gabe swore by.

“Trust me on this one Warren,” Gabe said once the waitress had walked away. 

“I’m counting on you,” Warren replied, a little surprised at how he was able to make banter. “Otherwise my breakfast experience is ruined. After I extended you the invitation, too.” Warren shook his head.

“You will not be disappointed,” Gabe said.

Dimples accented the corners of his mouth. 

So far, Warren wasn’t.

He was pleasantly surprised with how well things were going. It didn’t feel forced or uncomfortable like Warren was afraid it would be. 

The waffles were as good as Gabe promised, and Warren felt unexpectedly disappointed when breakfast was over. 

“I have to go to work soon,” Gabe said.

“Where do you work?” Warren asked, ignoring how much he wished that Gabe would stay.

“The rec center.”

“Oh.” Warren perked up. It wasn’t too far from his building. “I could walk you there,” he offered. 

Gabe turned him down, mentioning how he had to go back to his place and get his bag. Warren insisted it was no trouble and Gabe just smiled, dimples and all, before standing up from their table and leading him out of the restaurant. 

They walked through campus together and Warren was glad that Gabe didn’t have to leave just yet. They passed by a pretty brick building and Gabe shook his head and looked down, trying not to laugh.

Warren turned to him, raising his eyebrows. “What?”

“The english building,” Gabe explained. “Can’t believe I was gonna be an english major.”

Warren shrugged, hands in his pockets. “Nothing wrong with english.”

“No,” Gabe agreed. “Except it wasn’t right for me. Engineering is much more my speed.”

Warren almost stopped in his tracks. This was too good to be true. 

“You’re an engineer?” Warren asked.

“Yep,” Gabe answered. 

Warren understood why he caught his eye in the bar that night. Why he decided to give brunch a go. This was the Earth’s gift to him- an engineer. Warren couldn’t help but smile. This was perfect. 

They continued walking through the campus, although now there was only one thing on Warren’s mind. He needed Gabe. 

By the time they had retrieved Gabe’s bag and made it to the gym, Warren was already deep in his thoughts on how Gabe’s experience in engineering could contribute to his efforts in constructing a deadly sun ray. 

Which is why he almost didn’t notice Will, with a blue tank top and earbuds in walking right past them. 

“Will?” Warren asked.

Will stopped, looking over with realization. “Woah, hey.”

“This is my roommate, Will,” Warren said, awkwardly introducing the two. “Will, this is Gabe. He’s in my english class.”

“Roommate and best friend,” Will added. He looked over to Gabe and smiled before a realization crossed his face and his eyes widened. Will left abruptly, mumbling something about forgetting something upstairs and an aggressive brunette. 

But before he left he made Warren promise to tell him the details about his breakfast with Gabby, earning a raised eyebrow from Gabe. 

“Gabby eh?”

“I haven’t told him,” Warren said slowly. He shifted his feet. “That I’m…” He gave Gabe a look, not needing to say the rest. “I don’t know how to.”

“It’s fine. That’s your business and I want this to work so I’ll respect it.” Gabe gave him a reassuring smile, his sweet words lingering with Warren even after he was gone. 

Warren felt a lump in his throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the Gabe-centric chapter but I felt that it was important in developing Warren's character.   
> However, I can assure you that chapter 6 will be more eventful.  
> Again, thank you all for your patience with updates!! x


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